Trimming machine



June 7, 1938. H. M. HESSENBRU'ICH TRIMMING MACH-INF) 7 Filed Feb. 10, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR- WTORNEYS.

v June 7, 1938. H. M. SH'ESSENBRUCH" TRIMMING MACHINE Filed Feb. 10, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR; i'lrmann Mifessenbruch an Q 0 l. I

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WITNESSES June 7, 1938. H. M. HESSENBRUCH TRIMMING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 10, 1937 I INVENTOR; fizrmnn Mfigsmbrucin A TTORNEYS.

J1me 1938. H. M. HESSENBRUCH 2,119,942

TRIMMING. MACHINE 5 sheets-sheet 4 Filed Feb. 10, 1957 INVENTOR; Hermann M ifizssanbruch BY W ATTORNEYS.

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June 7, 1938. H. M. HESSENBRUCH 2,119,942

TRIMMING MACHINE Filed Feb. 10, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Ham only 51 mo .55 d' 25 i 52 2F WITNESSES INVENTOR B .jvfzrmann ifissanbruch Patented June 7, 1938 UNITED STATES TRIMIMING MACHINE Hermann M. Hessenbruch, Wynnewood, Pa., as-

signor to Philadelphia Lawn Mower and Mfg. 00., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 10, 1937, Serial No. 124,966

9 Claims.

Myinvention relates to trimming machines and more particularly to machines for cutting off the rough edges of cup-shaped articles of pressed metal. In my pending application for U. S. Letters Patent, Serial No. 32,744, filed July 25, 1935, there is shown and described a trimming machine which is fully automatic in its operation. The present invention accomplishes all of the objects set forth in said application and in addition has special advantages thereover for certain kinds of work.

One object of the invention is to provide a fully automatic trimming machine capable of running at high speeds and requiring a minimum of attention.

Another object is to provide in a machine of this character various adjustments and readily removable parts whichenable the machine to be quickly converted for use with cup-shaped articles of different sizes and shapes.

Other objects of the invention are to provide improved means for guiding and conveying the articles to the vicinity of the trimming station; improved means, including a plunger having a relatively short stroke, for positively feeding the articles to the trimming station; improved means for casting off the scrap material after the trimming cuts have been effected; and improved means for withdrawing the trimmed articles out of the path of articles approaching the trimming station.

Still other objects and advantages characterizing my present invention will become more fully apparent from the description hereinafter set forth of one example or embodiment of the invention, having reference to the accompanying drawings, whereof:

Fig. I represents a plan view of a trimming machine embodying my invention, with certain parts of the feeding mechanism removed.

Fig. II represents a longitudinal cross section of the same, taken as indicated by the lines 11-11 of Fig. I, certain parts being omitted for clearness of illustration, and showing moving parts of the machine in the positions occupied at one particular point in the cycle of operation.

Fig. III represents an enlarged transverse section of the machine, taken as indicated by the lines III-III of Fig. I.

Fig. IV represents an additional transverse section of the same, taken as indicated by the lines IVIV of Fig. I.

Fig. V represents an enlarged longitudinal cross section of a portion of themachine, taken similarly to Fig. II, but showing the moving parts in the positions occupied during another point in the cycle of operation.

, Fig. VI represents a perspective view ofa cupshaped article adapted to be trimmed by the machine represented in the drawings.

thereon a trimming station, comprehensively designated at 2, a gravity chute; designated at 3 for receiving the articles to be trimmed, and var ious instrumentalities for automaticallyguiding and conveying such articles from the gravity chute 3 to the trimming station 2 and then withdrawing and discharging the articles. The particular machine shown in the drawings is adapted to trim the rough edges of a pressed metal article 4, of the type shown in Fig. VI. In the illustrated example the articles to be trimmed are of circular cross section, and the cutting action takes place along the dot-and-dash lines indicated at 5 in Fig. VI but the machine may obviously be adapted to trim articles of many different sizes and shapes, as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Power is supplied to the machine through a. pulley 6 affixed to a main shaft 1. The main shaft I is geared to a connecting shaft 8 which in turn is geared to an auxiliary shaft 9, all of said shafts being suitably mounted in bearings H and interconnectedv by bevel gears [2. Through additional bevel gears l2 on the main shaft I, the trimming mechanism is operated. More specifically, the trimming mechanism includes a pair of alternately reciprocated cutters I3, l4, suitably guided for movement horizontally towards and away from a mandrel I5 disposed on a guide plate l6 between said cutters. Each ,cutter 13, I4 is mounted upon a holder H movable in the guide plate 16, and each holder is engaged by a crank pin !8, eccentrically mounted on a rotating disc IS. The discs l9 are driven by stub shafts journaled in bearings 2| and, deriving their motion from the main shaft 1 through two pairs of bevel gears I2. The crank pins 18 are so disposed as to cause the U-shaped cutting edges of the cutters I3, 14 to make overlapping cuts in sequence and thus to trim a circular band. of metal from the article 4 on. the mandrel l5.

For severing the band of metal cut from the article 4 by the trimming cutters, l3, l4, splitting cutters 22 are employed. Each splitting cutter 22 is carried by a. holder 23.adapted for vertical sliding movement in guideways on the front of the guide plate I6. The mechanism for operating the splitting cutters 22. derives its movement from a pair of cams 24, 25 on the main I shaft 1. As shown' inFig. VII, the cam 24. is

substantially heart-shaped and engages a roller 26 on a slotted bar 21, whereas the cam 25 which is located on the other side of the slotted bar 21 l is substantially pear-shaped and engages a roller 28 thereon. The main shaft 1 passes through an elongated slot29 in the bar 21, and with rotation of the main shaft 1, it will be apparent that the action of the cams 24, 25 causes the bar 2'! to reciprocate in .asubstantially ver- 'tical direction. At the upper end of the bar 21,

there is a lever 3| pivotally connected thereto. The lever 3| is adapted to rock about a fulcrum 32 and is connected at its other end by a link 33 which is in turn connected to the upper cutter holder 23. At the lower end of the bar 21 there 7 is a link 34 pivotally connected thereto. The link 34 is connected to a lever 35, the latter be ing adapted to rock about a fulcrum 36, and being in turn connected at its free end to a link 31 which joins the lower cutter holder 23. The above described parts are so designed and pro-- portioned as to cause the splitting cutters 22 to move simultaneously towards and away from the mandrel I5, and the cams 24, 25 are so related to the crank pins I8 on the discs [9 that the action of the vertical cutters 22 immediately v follows the action of the trimming cutters I3, M.

The splitting cutters 22 sever the trimmed band ofmaterial by splitting it into two pieces which fallfrom-the mandrel |5 through an opening 38 inthe top of the table I. most clearly in Fig. I, prevents the trimmed pieces from interfering withother parts of the machine, and guides the 35 l5. The air j et issuing from the nozzle 40 is di- 7 such pieces.

At the trimming station 2, two air jets-are provided, one issuing from a nozzle 40 which serves to. assist the splitting cutters 22 in causing instantaneous discharge of the split pieces as soon as these cutters have done their work, and the other leading through a'central orifice 4| in the mandrel and serving to withdraw the article and the other branch 53 leading to the central orifice 4| in the mandrel I5.

The automatic valve 49 has an operating lever 54 with a roller 55 at the. end thereof, operated bya cam 56, as shown in Fig. II. The cam 56 is affixed to the main shaft I. A bracket 58 adjustably supports the automatic valve 49 and the pipe connections associated therewith. 'At a certain point in each revolution of the main shaft 1, the cam 56 strikes the operating lever 54 of the automatic valve49 and causes air to be supplied both to the nozzle 4|] and to the central orifice 4| within the mandrel rected at such an angle, and is so timed that as soon as the'band trimmed from the article is split by'the cutters 22, the pieces are immediately blown downwardlyand rearwardly into the'opening38, and are thus cast off from the machine. The jet issuing from the central orifice4| in the mandrel |5 at the same time ejects the trimmed article from the mandrel.

The articles to be'trimmed are conveyed to the An apron 39, shown gravity discharge of machine through the gravity chute 3, shown most clearly in Figs. II and V. Desirably the ,gravity chute 3 forms part of a, continuous conveying system of the character shown and described in' Letters Patent No. 1,953,757, granted to me under date of April 3,1934. In said patent there is described an apparatus for making pressed articles by successive drawing .operations and involving conduits for guidedly progressing the articles from one press to another. As each article delivered in this or some other appropriate manner to the gravity chute 3 moves toward the table I, it first strikes a projecting arm 59 of a swinging check device 6| and is momentarily arrested preparatory to.

passage 7 through a feeding mechanism towards the trim-v ming station. The swingingcheck. device 6| is pivoted at 62and is normally held by means of springs 63 in the position represented inrFig'. II;

In this position the projecting arm 59 penetrates the gravity chute 3, and arrests the article 4 as shown in Fig. II. Desirably the arm 59 is slidably' mounted on a bracket 64 and may, without swinging of the check device 6|, be retracted manually against the pressure of springs b5.v This is a convenience enabling the ready removal from the gravity chute 3 of any deformed or faulty ar-, ticles. 7

The swinging check device 6| includes an actuating lever 66 which is operated automatically and in timed relation'to the trimming mechanism in a manner hereinafter described; and it also includes an upsetting arm 67, which servesat one point in the operation. to arrest downward movement of the article as shown in Fig. V, and serves at another point in the operation to upset an article received at the'lower ledge 68 of the gravity chute 3 while striking the upper end thereof and knocking it over into a horizontal position within a box-shaped receptacle 69.

The receptacle 69 is affixed to the table by means of a bracket 19, and has an open bottom through which the articles fall by gravity. As shown in Fig. IILthe gravity chute 3 is adjustably secured to the bracket by bolts 1| passing through an elongated slot 12. Beneath the box-shaped receptacle 69, an adjustable base plate 13 is provided, as shown most clearly in Figs. III and IV. The adjustable base plate 13 has at each side thereof an extension plate, one such plate 14 being disposed beneath the receptacle 69 and the other plate leading downwardly at an angle from the base plate 13 to-' wards a discharge chute 16. The extension plate 74 is provided with a guiding surface 11, which, together withthe bracket 1|] restricts lengthwise movement of the articles in their passage to the trimming station ZQ AdditionaI guiding surfaces '18, I9 are provided at each side of the extension plate 15, but such parts are separate from this extension plate.

The base plate 13 has beneath the same four guide rods 8| which pass through openingsin the bed plate 82 at the top of the table and which are provided with springs 83 and nuts 84,'the

springs being inserted between the nuts and the bed plate in such manner as to tend to draw the base plate downwardly.- A threaded stem 85 hav-' ing thereon an adjustingnut 86 permits the base plate 13 to be set at the desired vertical height above the bed plate 82, its position depending upon the diameter of the articles to betrimmed. Extending along the top surface of the base plate 13, there is a groove 81 which parallels the axis of the mandrel I 5' and lies beneath the same, the groove servingto guide the articles as they move to and: from the mandrel.

For moving the articles deposited on the extension plate 14 from the receptacle 69, a slide 88 is employed As shown most clearly in Figs. I and III, the slide 88 is movable in a guide block 89-in a direction at right angles to'the axis of the mandrel I5; More particularly,.the slide 88 has a pair of spaced rollers 9I- which engage diametrically opposite points on a cam 92 mounted on the connecting shaft 8. With rotation of the cam 92 the slide 88..is moved back'andforth in the guide block 89. At its forward end the slide 88 has adjustably securedthereto by means of bolts 93, a pusher 94 which directlyengagesthe articles deposited from the receptacle 69 and progresses such articles in side-by-side abutting relation along the extension plate 14 towards the groove 81 in the base plate 13. The pusher 94 has parallel slots 95 through which the adjusting bolts 93' pass. In an obvious manner the position of the pusher 94 with respect to the slide 88 can be varied to take care of articles of different diameters. The guide block 89 is also adjustably mounted on the table I, and for this purpose ad!- justing bolts 96-are employed, certain of which pass through a slot 91 in the bed plate 82 and others through a lug I00.

A bracket 98 is adjustably attached to one side of the receptacle 69 by means of a bolt 99 passing through a slot II. The bracket 98 has thereon a resilient hold down device 102 which engages the top surfaces of the articles as they are pushed towards the groove 81 in the base plate 13, thereby keeping the articles in line and causing them to pass smoothly with step-.by-step progression under the influence of the intermittent movement of the slide 88. The hold down device I62 terminates in an enlarged end I83 immediately above the groove 81 which serves to firmly seat each article in the groove before its passage to the mandrel I5.

For positioning each article on the mandrel I 5, a plunger I04 is provided. The plunger I04 is adjustably secured to a threaded stem I05 forming part of a sliding carriage I06. The sliding carriage I06 is guided for movement in the direction of the axis of the mandrel I5 by means of a guide block I01. On the sliding carriage .106 there are rollers I08, I09, engaged by cams I II, I I2. As shown most clearly in Figs. II and V, the cams III, 2 are affixed to the auxiliary shaft 9 and are so shaped as to cause a rapid stroke of the plunger I04 at a predetermined point in the cycle of operation of the machine. To reduce the shock incident to each stroke of the plunger I04, shock absorbing devices II3 are provided, one at each side of the sliding carriage I06. The ends of the shock absorbing device II3 are engaged by stops H4, H5 on the carriage I06. On the sliding carriage I06 there is also provided a bracket II6 which engages the actuating lever 66v of the swinging check device 6I, thereby causing the swinging check device to move at the proper point in the cycle of operation.

The operation of the above described apparatus is-as follows: The trimming machine is regulated torun at a speed equal to or greater than the rate at which the articles are supplied to the gravityv chute 3. As each article reaches the gravity chute 3, it is momentarily arrested by the projecting arm 59 of the swinging check device BI and held in the position shown in Fig. II. Accompanying forward movement of the sliding carriage I06, thebracketrl I6 strikesthe operating lever 66 of the swinging. check device 6 I, causing this device to reverse its position, and dropping thearticle previously admitted to the gravity chute 3 to the position indicated in Fig. V, where it rests upon the upsettingarm 61. At the same time the forward movementof the upsetting arm 67 actsupon the article received at the lower ledge 68, turning it end for end and. depositing it in the receptacle 69. Thus the articles are fed singly with temporarily arrested movement at the base of the gravity chute 3, and they are then turned end for end and deposited within the receptacle 69.

Immediately after each article is discharged through the open base of the receptacle 69 onto' the extension plate 14, the slide 88 progresses the article one step toward the groove 81 of'the base plate13; Withsueh forward movement of the slide 88 and its plunger 94, an article is deposited. in the groove 81, but if the articles are not supplied to the gravity chute 3 at a rate as rapid as the operation of the trimming machine, and for this reason no article is discharged through the receptacle 69, the machine merely goes through a cycle of operation without advancing an additional article toward the trimming stationl. As the articles advance with stepby-step progression toward the groove 81 in the base plate 13, they are held in proper side-by-side abutting relation by means of the hold down piece I02. Each time an article enters the groove 81 in the base plate 13, the plunger I04 immediately moves forward and strikes the base of the article and advances it to a position surrounding the mandrel I5.

As soon as an article is received upon the mandrel I5, the trimming operation commences. First one of the trimming cutters I9, I4 movestoward the mandrel I5, and penetrates through a little more than one-half of the circumference of the article, then the other trimming cutter comes into action from the other side, overlapping the previous cut and causing the complete severance of a band of metal along the lines indicated at 5 in Fig. VI. As soon as the trimming has thus been accomplished, the vertical splitting cutters 22 move simultaneously from above and below the mandrel I5 and split the trimmed portion of metal into two pieces. At this moment an air jet issues from the nozzle 46 and the trimmed pieces are cast off one at each side of the mandrel I5 and caused to drop through the opening 38 in the table I clear ofthe operating parts of the machine. At the same time that the airjet issues from the nozzle 40, as the result of the operation of the automatic valve 49, by engagement of the cam 56 with its operating lever 54, an additional air jet is caused to issue from the orifice 4| within the mandrel I5, this jet impinging upon the base of the article on the mandrel, and causing the article to be propelled rearwardly in a reverse direction to that from which it has approached the mandrel. The article in rebounding enters the groove 81 inthe path of the article just approaching a groove, under the influence of the slide 88. Accordingly the trimmed article is struck by the article about to enter the groove 81 and is positively propelled toward the discharge'chute 16, by

means of whichit may. be carried away from Ii the machine to a cleaning bath.= I I It will be observed that the various movements described above follow automaticaly in a predetermined succession at predetermined points in the revolution of the main shaft 1, and

iii

hence in timed. relation to the action. of the cutting .means. gly toward thetrimming station 2, and are guidedthroughout their movement in such manner as to minimize the danger of jamming at any point in the system. Furthermore, it will be particularly noted that the critical movements involved in the operation of the machine are of a positive nature. For example, each article after it is trimmed is positively withdrawn and ejected out of the path of other articles approaching the trimming station. The split pieces of scrap material are positively cast ofi from the mandrel, and the action of the slide 88 and the plunger carriage I06 in each instance causes a positive movement of the article operated on.

Such positive movements properly timed with vided for the plunger I04 is an additional factor in enabling the machine to'be operated at a relatively high speed.

The various adjustments described in detail herein enable the machine to be quickly adapted from use with articles of one size and shape to use with articles of a different size and'shape. Minor changes in the positionof the various parts permit the machine to be'adjusted to take care of cylindrical articles of greater or less diameter or of greater or less length, and by means of other changes the'machine can be adapted to take care of articles of a different cross section, such as square or rectangular articles. 7

While I have described my invention with reference to a specific embodiment thereof, designed for the manufacture of a cup-shaped article, and have described in some detail a preferred form of trimming mechanism and feeding mechanism, it will be'apparent that various changes may be made in the machine herein described and'illustrated without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that certain features of the invention may at times be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. In a trimming machine of the character described, a mandrel forreceiving a cup-shaped sc'ribed, a mandrel for receiving a cup-shaped article, cutting means for trimming the edges of the article while on said mandrel, means for guidedly conveying the articles towards said mandrel and feeding them singly thereto in timed relation to the operation of said cutting means, a pressure jet within said mandrel for removing thearticles therefrom, said'jet operating automatically at the completion of the trimming operation, and means whereby the articles approaching said mandrel are guided to strike the article which has been trimmed and withdrawn from the mandrel and to cast it clear of said approaching articles.

2. In a trimming machine of the character dearticle, cutting means for trimming the edges of the article while on said mandrel, a'plunger in line with the axis of said mandrel for positioning the articles one at a time on said mandrel, means for guidedly conveying the articles in side by side abutting relationin a path at right angles to the axis of the mandrel and with step by step progression, thereby to feed them singly to a position The articles are conveyed sin-,

between said plunger and mandrel, means i for Withdrawing the. articles from said mandrel and returning them towardssaid'p-lunger,said plung er and said f'conveying and withdrawing means"- has been trimmed and withdrawn to cast it clear of said approaching articles. I

3. Ina trimming machine of the character described, a mandrel for receiving exteriorlya cupe shaped article, oppositely disposed cutters operatl f ing in sequence to trim the article on said mandrel by fractional cuts with incidental severance of a band at the rim of said article, means op erating in timed relationto said cutters for splitting said band, and a pressure jet for casting off said split pieces.

4. In a trimming machine of the. character de-' scribed, a mandrel for receiving exteriorly a cupshaped article, oppositely disposed cutters operating in sequence to trim the article on said man drel by fractional cuts with incidental severance of a band at the rim of vsaid article, oppositely disposed cutters operating simultaneously to split said band, and a pressure jet for casting off said split pieces.

5. In a trimmingmachine 0f the character. described, a mandrel for receiving exteriorly a cup- ,shapedarticle, oppositely disposed cutters operating in sequence to trim the article on said man- I drel by fractional cuts with'incidental severance of a band at the rim of said article, mea'nsoperating in timed relation to said cutters for splitting said band, and pressure jets operating in timed relation to said cutters, one of said jets servingto cast off saidsplit pieces, and another jet serving to withdraw the article from the mandrel.

v 6. In a trimming machine of the character described, a mandrel for receiving exteriorly a cup-' shaped article, cutting means for trimming the edges of the article while on said mandrel, a plunger in line with the axis ofv said mandrel for positioning the articles one'at a time on said mandrel, means including a base plate and "a slide operating thereon for guidedly conveying 1 the articles inv side by side abutting relation inf a path at right angles to the axis of the mandrel and with step by step progression, thereby tofee'd the articles singly to a position" between said plunger and mandreljand means for withdrawing the articlefrom said mandrel, said plunger, slide and withdrawing means all operating in timed relation to each other.. 1

'7. A trimming machine as set forth in claim 6, in which the base plate is vertically adjustable j with respect to said mandrel to take care of arti- I co , V I 70f HERMANN M. HESSENBRUCH; 

